The discourse on fake news can be analyzed through the twin lenses of epistemological absolutism and relativism, each presenting unique challenges and contributions to the propagation of misleading information.
### Absolutism and Fake News
From an absolutist standpoint, the truth is objective, universal, and immutable. This perspective suggests that there exists a singular, authoritative version of facts that can be accessed through rigorous empirical investigation or logical reasoning. Ironically, the allure of 'absolute truth' often gives rise to fake news. This happens because the notion of an absolute truth creates fertile ground for demagogues and manipulators who claim to possess it. By projecting an image of unequivocal certainty, they bypass the audience's critical faculties, offering seemingly irrefutable narratives that serve their interests. The absolutist expectation that 'the truth' exists in a pure, unadulterated form can make individuals susceptible to misinformation that wears the guise of infallibility.
### Relativism and Fake News
On the other hand, relativism holds that truth is subjective, varying according to different perspectives, cultures, or individual experiences. In a relativistic paradigm, the lines between truth and falsehood become blurred, making the term 'fake news' almost redundant. Since all versions of events can be justified through particular lenses, the rigor of fact-checking is often dismissed as another form of narrative control. The problem arises when this view is used to legitimize demonstrably false information. Here, relativism can become an intellectual cover for the spread of misinformation, as it allows any statement to be defended as 'someone's truth.'
### Philosophical Implications
The tension between absolutism and relativism has deep philosophical roots, touching upon the nature of reality, the limitations of human cognition, and the social contract that underlies public discourse. From a Kantian perspective, the 'noumenal' world—things as they truly are—is forever beyond human grasp, leaving us with only 'phenomenal' interpretations. This notion could be seen as a philosophical reconciliation between the two, suggesting that while objective truths may exist, our access to them is always mediated and therefore subject to interpretation.
### Further Research
1. "The Construction of Social Reality" by John Searle — for an understanding of how consensual realities are formed.
2. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn — for insights into how scientific 'truths' are subject to paradigm shifts.
3. "On Bullshit" by Harry G. Frankfurt — a philosophical examination of the differences between lies and 'bullshit', the latter being indifferent to truth.
By acknowledging the limitations and affordances of both absolutism and relativism, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of how fake news proliferates and, perhaps, how it can be mitigated.
